As the Moon Rises
by RedPandaPrincess
Summary: Oh man I totally suck at these... This is a story about a young girl named Wendy Phillips, a Muggleborn, who finds out she is a witch and who finds herself dependent upon a very surly wizard named Severus Snape. Interesting relationships develop but is Wendy cursed to lose everyone who gets close to her?
1. Chapter 1

**SUMMARY:** Oh man I totally suck at these... This is a story about a young girl named Wendy Phillips, a Muggleborn who finds out she is a witch and who finds herself dependent upon a very surly wizard named Severus Snape. Interesting relationships develop...

**DISCLAIMER: ** I probably won't remember to put this at the top of every chapter. Do I really need to? You know I don't own it. I know I don't own it. I know you don't own it. I know only J. K. Rowling owns it. It makes us all very sad.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Hi. Welcome. Greetings. Thank you all for coming to read my fanfic. I encourage you all to read my bio as I am looking for friends and a proof-reader. Not really sure what else to say. Y'all make me nervous. That's silly, isn't it?

Anyway, this is my fic. I hope you enjoy it. If you do enjoy it, please review. Reviews keep me writing. They pop up on my phone and give me little bursts of much-needed confidence. Suggestions are welcome, too. Suggestions about what you think should happen, where the story should go...Know that I already have some vague ideas but I may take some suggestions into account and then wouldn't that be cool? You get to see your ideas come to life, I get to...not have writers block so much and hopefully make some friends!

Anyway I'll stop rambling. Thanks for clicking on me!

~Cubbette

**As the Moon Rises**

**Chapter 1**

Wendy Phillips was a Muggleborn. When the Sorting Hat had placed her in Slytherin in her first year, everyone had been surprised except her. She did not know what it meant to be a Muggleborn in the midst of such pureblood aristocracy and their prejudice against Muggleborns. She had not been prepared for the amount of abuse – both verbal and physical- she would come to take from her fellow students. She hadn't known about purebloods, half-bloods, Muggleborns – so crudely called Mudbloods by her Slytherin peers. She had still been reeling from finding out that she was a witch. She did not know how difficult that life was going to be for her.

For the first few weeks she worried. Worried she didn't belong there, in Slytherin House, or at Hogwarts at all. She spent her free time hiding in her dormitory with the curtains drawn around her bed. It was the only way the others would leave her alone. More often than not, she cried herself to sleep without ever going down to dinner. The other girls would make fun of her if they heard her crying.

A few weeks after the start of term, one of the older girls told her that Professor Snape, their head of house, wanted to see her in his office.  
"Probably going to kick you out of Slytherin House," the older girl sneered. "Serves you right, Mudblood. You don't belong here."

"Maybe he'll put her in Gryffindor," added a nearby boy.

"Or Hufflepuff," said the girl. The two shared a cruel laugh and Wendy turned and walked out of the Common Room, keeping her face expressionless.

Wendy wasn't entirely sure where Snape's office was but she knew better than to ask the older students. They took extreme pleasure in sending her in the wrong direction – into the boy's lavatory or the kitchens, where students weren't allowed. She'd found the latter rather helpful. She had been scared of the house-elves at first until she got to know them. They lived to serve and they hadn't ratted her out to any of the teachers. In fact, they loaded her up with extra food every time she visited, which was good considering the frequency with which she skipped meals in the Great Hall, not wanting to see any of her classmates.

She headed in the direction she knew the Potions classroom to be, figuring Snape's office couldn't be too far from there. When she got close, she found one of Hogwarts infamous moving paintings. This one was of a man on the back of a horse, a sword strapped to his waist.

"Excuse me, sir?" she asked the painting timidly. "Can you tell me where Professor Snape's office is?"

"Certainly young lady!" he declared. "You are almost there. It is just around the corner, on the right."

"Great! Oh, uh, thank you sir," she said with a slight bow.

"You are very welcome, young one. Any time."

She hurried around the corner, took a deep breath, and knocked.

"Enter," said a low, dangerous voice from within.

Wendy realized she was trembling as she reached for the doorknob. What if he really was going to remove her from Slytherin house? She took another deep breath and opened the door.

Professor Snape was sitting at his desk, dressed in his usual black robes. He put down the quill he was writing with and looked up.

"Gwendolyn Phillips," he said. "Have a seat."

As much as Wendy hated her first name, she didn't dare correct this scary man who was meant to be her advisor.

Wendy sat down in the chair in front of his desk and met his gaze nervously.

"How are you, Miss Phillips?" he asked.

"F-fine," she replied, surprised. From what shed heard of Professor Snape, he wasn't one to take an interest in student's well being.

Snape cleared his throat.

"...Professor Dumbledore thought it would be a good idea to check in with you. See how you were adjusting to life at Hogwarts."

"Fine," she repeated blankly. _The headmaster knew who she was?_

"As a Muggleborn, in Slytherin House...Well, it's unheard of, really. I imagine you've had some difficulties, with your classmates?"

"Well..." she said hesitantly. She didn't want to get anyone into trouble.

Snape inclined his head.

"Children can be cruel and...superficial," he said. "May I make a suggestion?"

"Of course, sir," she replied, trying not to sound too desperate.

"Excel," he said.

"Sir?"

"Excel at everything. Surpass your classmates. Do your best – better than your best – in everything. Particularly spells," he said seriously. "If you excel in magic, well...they can't make fun of you for being Muggleborn if you are better than them."

Wendy was silent a moment, thinking. What he said made sense.

"Okay," she said slowly. "I'll try...Thank you, sir."

He inclined his head and she took that as her cue to leave. She was almost to the door when Snape spoke again.

"If you ever need a place to practice spells, or a quiet place to study...my classroom is empty in the evening and most of the weekend. I would not be opposed to letting you in to utilize the space, as long as you ask first."

"W- thank you, sir. I really appreciate your help," she said, meeting his dark gaze. He quickly looked away.

"It was the headmaster who asked me to speak with you," he said softly.

Wendy wanted to say that she didn't think the headmaster had asked him to share his classroom, but she was not about to get on his bad side.

"Well...thank him for me," she said, then turned and left.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Snape's advice certainly did help. By her second year, Wendy was the best in her class. By her third year, hardly anyone mentioned her Muggleborn heritage anymore. In fact, for the most part, they all ignored her. Which suited her just fine, or so she told herself.

During the first week of the school year she noticed her peers making fun of a small first year. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, and looked like he couldn't be much older than 9. When she overheard one of the older students giving him the wrong directions to the Transfiguration classroom, she intervened.

"I'll lead you there," Wendy said to the boy. Her mere presence made the other student disappear, scowling.

"Thanks," the boy said brightly. "It's been hard, getting the hang of things around here. I wish I had a map."

"I understand," she said with a nod. "I got the hang out of it after my first year and you will, too. I found the paintings to be a lot more reliable than people, when it comes to directions."

"Really? I never thought of that. Thanks, um...sorry, what's your name?"

"Wendy," she said as they headed upstairs. "Wendy Phillips."

"I'm Llewellyn Townsend."

"Llewellyn?" she said, unable to help smirking. "You, uh...ever think of changing that? Getting a nickname?"

"It's never bothered me," he said with a shrug. "It's an old English name."

"I know... My name is actually Gwendolyn," she admitted. "My mom teaches medieval literature and she always loved old English names. I hate it, though."

"Gwendolyn and Llewellyn, huh? We sound like some sort of medieval crime fighting duo," he said gleefully. Wendy couldn't help but laugh.

"Look, here's Transfiguration. McGonagall is a real stickler for punctuality," she said, nodding to the classroom.

"Right. Thanks, Wendy. I'll...see you later?"

"Sure," she said, smiling briefly. "Good luck in McGonagall's class."

Wendy headed off to her own class, wondering if, after two years, she had just found her first friend at Hogwarts.

That evening she decided to go to the Great Hall for dinner. Most of the time she didn't bother going, preferring to just get food from the kitchens whenever she felt hungry. Usually she spent the time in the Potions classroom, studying. But she thought that if she went to the Great Hall, she might see Llewellyn again. And she wasn't disappointed.

As soon as she started loading her plate with potatoes, Llewellyn showed up.

"Hi Wendy! Could I sit with you?" he asked.

"Sure," she said and he dropped his bag of books next to hers. "How was your Transfiguration class?"

"Oh not bad, uh...well...it kinda sucked."

"Oh?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. He laughed nervously.

"Well the class didn't suck. In fact, McGonagall is kind of awesome. She turned into a cat! So the class didn't suck...I sucked. We were supposed to be transfiguring matchsticks into needles and...well..."

"You blew it?"

"Totally," he said. "I was one of three who couldn't manage it."

"That's rough... Maybe I could help you?"

"Really, you'd do that?"

"Sure. I am the best in my year, after all. Even McGonagall admits I am close to a 5th year in my abilities," she said. "I've been practicing Vanishing recently."

"Wow," he said, eyes wide. "Okay. I'd love the help."

"Great. We can go down to the Potions classroom after dinner. Snape lets me use it for studying. He even taught me the charm to unlock it, so I don't have to bother him all the time."

"Wow," he repeated. "You are really awesome, you know?"

Wendy laughed loudly.

"Thanks Lew," she said, grinning broadly. It was the first time she had ever been called cool.

The two finished eating quickly and Wendy led the way down to the classroom.

"Do you still have your matchstick from earlier?" she asked, putting her book bag down on a desk in the back.

"Yep," he said, digging around in his pockets. "Somewhere..."

Llewellyn dropped his bag beside hers and started to pull stuff from his pockets. A yo yo, some crumpled up paper, various candies, a comb, a few knuts, a pocketknife, and finally a matchstick...broken in half.

"Oops," he said sheepishly, holding it up.

"No big deal," she said, pulling out here wand. "_Reparo_."

The splintered wood snapped back together.

"Cool!" Llewellyn said, shoving all the other stuff back in his pockets.

"Okay, why don't you show me what you can do," she said, nodding to a seat. Llewellyn sat with the matchstick in front of him. He pulled out his wand, screwed up his face and tapped the matchstick. It shimmered, but retained its form.

"Hm. Okay. Well, I'm not much of a teacher but...you have to really envision it. Think about the size of a needle, the weight, the color..."

Llewellyn closed his eyes and tapped the matchstick again. It turned silver, but was still wooden.

"Not bad," she said to him. "Keep your eyes open. Try to...try to trick your brain into seeing a needle."

He stared hard at the matchstick and after a few minutes, tapped it again. The matchstick shimmered, then turned into a small silver needle.

"Alright!" he exclaimed.

"Way to go, Lew!" she said. "You did it!"

"Thanks to you," he said, grinning up at her with sparkling blue eyes.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?" said a voice.

They looked up to see Snape, standing in the doorway, glowering. He came to stand before Llewellyn, making the boy look even smaller.

"Go," Snape said to him. Llewellyn scampered away, grabbing his bag on the way out.

"Miss Phillips," Snape said, turning to Wendy once the door slammed shut. She felt her knees go weak and she dropped into the chair Llewellyn had vacated.

"I allowed you to use my premises for studying. I did _not _give you permission to bring anyone else here, certainly not a boy."

"I'm s-sorry. Llewellyn, he needed help and-"

"Sorry does not excuse it, Miss Phillips. You did not ask my permission...therefore I shall revoke my original allowance."

"...Sir?"

"You will no longer use these premises. You will leave. Now."

"Yes sir," she said, keeping her eyes cast down.

"I am _very _disappointed in you, Miss Phillips," he said as she left.

Her eyes filled with tears but she didn't stop or let him see.

By the time she reached the Common Room, she had wiped her tears away but her eyes were still red.

"Wendy!"

As soon as she entered the Common Room, Llewellyn was in front of her.

"I'm so, so sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have left, shouldn't have gone down there in the first place-"

"No, no. It was my idea, Lew, don't worry about it. Everything is fine."

"He didn't give you detention? Or take house points?"

"No."

"Wow, you really are his favorite."

"Apparently not...he won't let me use his classroom anymore."

"Oh...I'm sorry, Wendy."

"Don't be," she insisted. "It was my idea."

He sighed and sat down on a nearby couch. She sat down next to him.

"He shouldn't have been so mean!" Llewellyn declared after a minute. "You were only trying to help me."

"Yeah...and he never _specifically _told me not to take anyone down there," she said, starting to feel annoyed at Snape.

"He's just a big old grouch. Everyone says so. Probably because he doesn't get any."

"How do you know he doesn't 'get any'?" she asked, laughing.

"Well, that's what everyone says. He's never been seen with a woman. He's always frustrated. Maybe it's sexual frustration?"

"Maybe he doesn't like women?" she said suggestively and the two of them laughed together.

"Hey, wanna do something fun?" Llewellyn asked, grinning.

"Like what?"

"Let's go outside," he whispered.

"Outside? At night? But its forbidden," she whispered back.

"So? We've already cheated punishment once tonight. What's the worst that could happen?"

"...Okay," she said with a grin. "Let's do it."

**Author's Note: **This is all I am going to post for now, until I get a few reviews and time to look over the next chapter before posting. Hope you all read and review and don't give up. Who knows what is going to happen to them in the forest?


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Llewellyn and Wendy left the Common Room and made their way cautiously and quietly to the front door. Llewellyn stuck his head out first and looked around.

"I don't see anyone. And it's really bright out here," he said. "Come on."

The two stepped out of the castle into the bright moonlight.

"Come on, let's head to the trees. That way if anyone _does _come out, they won't see us," he said. Wendy nodded in agreement and followed him.

They raced each other to the shelter of the trees. Wendy reached them first, having longer legs. She turned to wait for Llewellyn as he huffed and puffed his way across Hogwarts grounds. When he reached her, his face was red, his blonde hair askew.

"Did anyone see us?" he panted, leaning against a tree to catch his breath.

"I don't think so," she said, looking back towards the castle. "I didn't hear anyone shouting anyway."

"Great," he said. They both turned and looked into the forest. The bright moonlight did not penetrate the thick trees at all.

"Wow," Llewellyn said, eyes wide. "What d'you think is in there?"

"Unicorns...hippogriffs...snakes."

"Unicorns? Cool! Do you think we could find one?"

"I don't know...I don't think it would be a very good idea," she replied nervously. "It's dangerous and you're just a first year."

"Yeah but you're really strong. You could protect me," he said brightly. "I bet you even could Stun something."

"Well, yeah, I've mastered Stunning, but-"

"Then let's go!" he said, heading into the trees. Wendy sighed and pulled out his wand.

"_Lumos_," she said, lighting the tip of her wand and following Llewellyn into the woods.

Wendy caught up with him and showed him how to light his wand. The two of them continued deeper into the forest, seeing nothing but a few frogs and bats. They were about to give up when Wendy heard something. A low sound like something she had heard at a zoo as a kid.

"Shh. Keep quiet," she told him. "This way."

They moved quietly through the trees until they came to the edge of a clearing. There they saw two shining cows, grazing.

"Wow," Llewellyn said breathlessly. "They're amazing. What are they?"

"They are amazing," she agreed. "I think they are Mooncalves."

The two of them watched the young Mooncalf and its mother until they trotted off into the woods.

"They look so weird. What did you say they were called?" Llewellyn asked.

"Mooncalves, I think. Their excrement is supposed to be really useful for Herbology in growing plants for potions."

"We should see if there's any. We could give it to Prof. Sprout."

"And how would we explain where we got it?" she asked, following him out into the clearing.

"We could say we found it on Hogwarts grounds," he said with a shrug. "Or just leave it outside her office. No one would ever know."

"Alright," she agreed. She transfigured some leaves into plastic bags and they split up in the clearing to look for dung.

Wendy was kneeling in the clearing, scraping up dung, when she first heard the growling. When she turned the first thing she saw was glowing yellow eyes and dripping fangs as the creature stepped out of the darkness.

"Lew..." she exhaled. "Lew, run!"

The boy turned to her then followed her gaze to the werewolf.

"Run," he repeated blankly, then turned and ran. He tripped over a rock and the creature sprang at him.

"Stupefy!" she shouted, clambering to her feet. The jet of red light hit the creature and glanced off. The creature didn't even glance her way as it leapt on Llewellyn. He let out a scream which was cut off with a gurgle as the creature's jaws closed around his throat. Blood sprayed the clearing and Wendy ran. She didn't know what else to do. She ran blindly into the woods, screaming, hoping someone would hear her.

She thought she heard someone shout back when something knocked her to the ground and teeth closed on her shoulder.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Snape was out in the forest to harvest fluxweed by the light of the full moon when he heard screams.

"Hello?" he shouted, wand at the ready. "Who's there?"

He listened for a moment. A minute passed and he heard a howl. His stomach dropped and he ran in the direction of the howl.

He came across the boy first. His throat had been ripped out and his eyes were glazed, unseeing. He didn't have to check to know he was dead. It was a girl's voice he had heard screaming. He looked around until he spotted the prints, then he followed the tracks of a full grown werewolf into the forest.

He found the creature standing hunched over the body of a girl. He blasted the creature away with a spell and it turned tail and ran. Snape looked down and was shocked to see Gwendolyn Phillips.

"Idiot girl," he muttered, but he couldn't even feel angry. She was bleeding from her shoulder and a slash across the top of her forehead. There was a pool of blood around her. He pulled her shirt down to see the extent of the wound on her shoulder. The gash was impossibly deep and gushing blood. He tried to use his cloak to wipe away some of the blood, only to see her shoulder was laid clean open, the exposed bone gleaming white in the moonlight.

He took off his cloak and used it to try and staunch the flow of blood from her shoulder. He cast his doe Patronus.

"Go get help," he said to her. The Patronus bounded off through the woods. Snape scooped the girl up off the ground, keeping his cloak pressed hard against the wound.

"Foolish, foolish girl," he muttered.

He couldn't go back for the boy's body now, there's no way he could carry them both. The boy was gone anyway.

He carried her out of the woods. Dumbledore and McGonagall met him halfway across the grounds.

"The boy," Snape said, his voice choked with emotion. He cleared his throat. "There's a boy in the woods, he's...dead.  
McGonagall gasped sharply and Dumbledore's eyes hardened.

"Minerva, can you-?" Dumbledore asked and she nodded. "Let's get Miss Phillips to the hospital wing."

Dumbledore offered to take the girl from him but Snape shook his head and turned away. She was his student. He'd carried her this far...

When they reached the Hospital Wing, Dumbledore woke Madam Pomfrey while Snape laid the girl carefully on a bed. He kept pressing his cloak intro the wound on her shoulder until Pomfrey arrived.

"Oh my goodness, oh my...what happened?" she asked.

"Werewolf," Snape grunted. "She's lost a lot of blood."

"A boy was killed," Dumbledore said softly.

"My...in the castle?" Pomfrey asked as she examined the wound.

"I found them in the woods," Snape said as he searched through Pomfrey's stock of potions for a Blood Replenishing Potion.

"We'll have to take her to St. Mungo's," Pomfrey said. "These wounds..."

"Was she bitten?" Dumbledore asked somberly.

"I'm...afraid so," Pomfrey said. They both turned and looked pityingly at the girl.

"She'll be fine," Snape said defensively to the headmaster, stepping between them and the girl. He administered a Blood-Replenishing Potion.

"She'll be fine," he repeated. "We need to get her to St. Mungo's. How?"

"Um...Floo Powder would be best," Pomfrey said, gesturing to a large fireplace.

"I will take her," he said, lifting the girl again.

"I'm coming as well," Dumbledore said. "Ponoma you can wait here for Minerva to return with the boy."

"Yes headmaster."

Snape tossed a handful of Floo Powder into the fireplace. He picked the girl up gently as the flames turned green and he stepped inside.

"St. Mungo's," he said clearly.

When he appeared in the hospital he was immediately surrounded by Healers who took her away from him, leaving him holding the bloody cloak. Dumbledore appeared behind him.

"I'll have to ask you two to wait while Healer Smethwyck works on her," said one of the wizards. "We'll let you know when you can see her. There's a waiting room to your left."

Snape followed the headmaster into the waiting room and they both sat down.

"I will have to go and get the girl's parents," Dumbledore said. "And I'll need to see the boy's as well...who was he?"

"Llewellyn Townsend," he said numbly. "He was her friend."

"...I am sorry, Severus," Dumbledore said to him. Snape looked up at him.

"For what?"

"They were your students - "

"She still is," he snapped without thinking.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"Forgive me, headmaster. I'm tired," he said, looking away.

"Right," he said. "Well, would it be too much to ask you to remain with the girl while I tend to the matter of informing their parents?"

"As you wish, headmaster," Snape said with a nod.

It was several hours before Dumbledore returned and Snape still had not heard from the Healers. He stood, expecting the girl's parents to come in. The headmaster was alone, however.

"No parents?" he asked.

"No. The girl's parents refused to come...They say they don't want anything to do with her..."

"What? Why?" Snape demanded.

"They're Muggles. When they found out she was bitten by a werewolf...even Muggles know what the means."

Snape exhaled slowly. He felt enraged at the girl's parents for abandoning her. Somewhere deep inside of him, he swore he would not do the same.

"Any news?" Dumbledore asked, sitting down.

"Nothing yet."

They sat in silence. Snape thought about asking how it went with the boy's parents, but he knew the answer. They would have been sad, grief-struck, maybe even angry...not like the girl's parents.

More time passed and Snape felt his eyelids droop. He wondered what time it was, if the sun had come up yet.

"Headmaster?"

The men looked up to see a Healer standing in the doorway. They stood to meet him.

"The girl is doing well," the Healer said to them. "We have her under sedation while her wounds heal, but..."

"She was bitten," Dumbledore said quietly.

"Yes," the Healer said.

"We are prepared to deal with that," the headmaster said to the Healer as well as Snape, who nodded.

"It will be a difficult life for her," the Healer said regretfully.

"She can handle it," Snape said. "she is a strong girl, she..."

Dumbledore nodded.

"You can see her now, if you like," the Healer said to them.

Snape followed the men upstairs to a room where the girl lay on a bed. She had been cleaned up and bandaged. She wore a hospital gown and was covered by a blanket.

"We are keeping her unconscious while the worst of her wounds heal, just to keep her from moving... The slightest movement causes the wounds to bleed drastically. We've already used up a great supply of Blood-Replenishing Potion. Our brewers downstairs will be working overtime because of this," he said with a chuckle. "...When Healer Smethwyck determines her wounds have healed enough, we'll stop giving her the Sleeping Draught. Are her parents coming?"

"No," Dumbledore said. "She's Muggleborn and her parents...they couldn't deal with it."

"Oh my," the healer said. "How...awful."

"I am holding onto the hope they will realize their mistake," the headmaster said, gazing at the girl sadly. "Hopefully before she wakes up."

"I'm with you," the healer agreed.

Snape said nothing, thinking to himself that any parents that abandoned her to begin with weren't parents worth having. But what did he know about parents worth having?

The healer excused himself to check on another patient and Dumbledore used his wand to summon a squishy purple armchair.

"Why don't you go get some rest, Severus?"

"She's my student," he said gruffly.

"She is mine as well," the headmaster said. "I'll sit here with her while you get some sleep."

Snape hesitated. He didn't want to tell Dumbledore that he wanted to stay with the girl – he would undoubtedly make a big deal out of it.

"Very well," Snape said with a sigh, looking at the girl.

"I won't leave her side, not even to go to the loo," Dumbledore said in his usual way.

"Don't be ridiculous," he snapped. "How can you make jokes at a time like this? A boy is dead, Albus, and a girl's life has been ruined."

"Ruined, Severus? I know you can be a bit prejudiced, but even you know it isn't the end of the world. Her life has been drastically altered, but that does not mean it has to be terrible."

Snape turned away from him and Disapparated.

He appeared outside the gates and squinted in the rising sun. He strode across the grounds and headed straight to his office and locked the door behind him.

He leaned back against the door and sighed. It was the first time he had been truly alone all night. The image of the small girl lying on the ground in a pool of blood, her shoulder laid open to the bone, swam across his vision. He sank to the floor. He had seen a lot of things in his time as a Death Eater, a lot of horrible things, but this...well it certainly took one of the top 3 spots. And the boy...he had been so small...

Snape realized her was still clutching the bloodied cloak and threw it away from him. His clothes, too, were bloodied, he realized and he leapt up. He stripped out of his clothes and went into his private quarters to shower.

He stood under the hot spray of water for a long time, watching Gwendolyn's blood wash off of him and go down the drain. Blood had never really bothered him before but this – the blood sticking to his skin, his clothes – made him sick to his stomach. It was _her _blood. The little Muggleborn girl with silver eyes who he had become somewhat fond of in the past year – though he would never, ever admit it. She had followed his advice and excelled in every area, even Potions. He had even been required to give her detention last year, for hexing a 7th year boy who was giving her a hard time. He hadn't really thought it fair, and gave her the easiest assignment he could think of. He'd disciplined the boy far worse, though he privately agreed the boy deserved the rainbow-colored boils that sprouted from his body from the girl's hex. The boy had been four times her size! They had refused to tell him what had caused her to hex him, so Snape had looked in her mind. The boy had been calling her a Muggle whore, trying to get her to do something obscene to him. Snape agreed that he deserved it and felt something akin to pride in the girl because she set an example. No one messed with her anymore after that.

And now she was infected with lycanthropy...a werewolf...and her friend was dead.

He blamed himself. They were so young. _His charges._ He should have known something was amiss, should have sensed something, should have heard them sooner, shouldn't have been so mean to them earlier, mean to her, he'd seen tears in her eyes...

He tortured himself with thoughts like this until the water ran cold in the shower. Then he dragged himself to his bed. He took a swig of Sleeping Draught to calm his mind, then closed his eyes to sleep...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Snape woke up six hours later feeling groggy. He lay awake a moment as the memories of the previous night came flooding back to him. He sighed and heaved himself out of bed. He dressed in one of the clean outfits from his wardrobe and went out into his office.

One of the house elves had apparently gotten his bloodied clothes and washed them because they were now folded on his desk. He unfolded his cloak and examined it. There was no trace of blood yet he still felt a sense of apprehension as he fastened it around his neck. He tried to shake the feeling away. It was ridiculous, he told himself. He was a grown man after all, a former Death Eater. Why should the girl's plight disturb him so much? It shouldn't. Yet he couldn't help but want to be back at her side immediately.

He did not want to cross the grounds and be bothered by his colleagues or by students with menial questions. He didn't want to see anyone. So he used the Floo Powder and the fireplace in his office to go straight to the hospital.

He didn't stop by the front desk, remembering the way to the girl's room. When he reached the second floor, he spotted Albus in the hallway outside her room.

"Severus," he said in greeting. "Did you sleep well?"

"What's wrong?" Snape asked, looking past him to the closed door.

"Nothing. They are changing her bandages."

"She's still bleeding through?"

"It hasn't even been a full day, Severus. Don't sound so alarmed. Give it time," Dumbledore replied with a faint smile. Snape grunted.

The door opened and a man came out, followed by the young Healer from the night before.

"Hello," the older man said to Snape. "I'm Healer Smethwyck, head of this ward."

"Professor Severus Snape, head of Slytherin House," Snape said, shaking the Healer's hand. "Gwendolyn Phillips is my student."

"Severus is the one who found Miss Phillips in the forest," Dumbledore said.

"Not soon enough," Snape muttered.

"You saved her life, Professor," Smethwyck said to him. "That counts for something."

"Does it?" he said quietly. "Considering…"

"It does, Severus," Dumbledore said, putting his hand on Snape's shoulder. He shrugged it off.

"You can go in now if you like," Smethwyck said to them. "I'll be back in a few hours to check on her."

"Her wounds are healing well," said the younger healer. "Thanks to the lycanthropy, she'll have a higher rate of recovery on all wounds sustained in the future. Her body temperature will be above normal and will burn up most germs. She'll be able to withstand most common infections. She won't get colds or sniffles."

"A great comfort, I'm sure," Snape said sarcastically. The younger healer looked at him disdainfully and followed Smethwyck away.

"You should not be so mean to Pye, Severus, he's only an intern," Dumbledore said to him as they entered the girl's room.

Snape said nothing but approached the girl's bedside. Her hair was askew where they had changed the bandages around her forehead. He smoothed it away gently.

He stepped away from her and cleared his throat when he noticed Dumbledore watching him.

"I have to head back to school now for a bit," Dumbledore said, smiling at him. "Let me know if you need a break."

"I'll be fine," Snape said. "If _you _need _me, _let me know."

Dumbledore nodded and Disapparated with a pop. Snape exhaled. He removed his cloak and sat in Dumbledore's squishy purple armchair. He squinted at the chair and with a flick of his wand turned the unsightly purple to black. It _was _a comfortable chair.

For the next three days Snape barely left her side, going back to the castle to sleep only when Dumbledore insisted. Even then he only slept a few hours before he was right back there. He didn't teach any of his classes Monday or Tuesday. Dumbledore didn't mention it and neither did he.

On Tuesday evening when Smethwyck came in to change her bandages, he told Snape she was progressing nicely.

"We won't give her the Sleeping Draught anymore. She should wake up within a few hours. I'll have the nurse bring in a pain potion. You can give it to her when she wakes up. She will undoubtedly need it," Smethwyck said. "If she has any questions, you can send for me if you need to. If not, I'll be back in the morning to talk to her."

"Okay," Snape said with a nod.

He watched the girl intently for the next few hours. At first he pretended to be reading but after two hours he abandoned all pretense and just gazed at her. After three hours he was starting to get concerned when finally her eyelids flickered open. Her silver eyes were unfocused for a moment, then her gaze met his.

"Foolish girl," he said quietly, though there was no malice in his voice. She groaned and tried to sit up.

"Careful!" he warned. "You are injured badly."

"My shoulder," she said hoarsely. "And I'm starving...I don't remember..."

"Here," Snape said, conjuring a silver cup filled with water. "Drink this."

She managed to sit up and he helped her bring the cup to her lips. She drank deeply then cleared her throat. Snape sat back down.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice a bit clearer.

"Foolish girl," he repeated. "You went into the woods. What did you think you were doing?"

He was unable to keep a hint of annoyance out of his voice.

"The woods? I don't remem-...Llewellyn," she said, remembering. "Llewellyn wanted to look for unicorns so we...Where is he? Is he okay?"

Snape hesitated. This wasn't the sort of thing she needed to hear as soon as she woke up. Not when she was so injured.

"Don't worry about that now," he told her. "Here, you need a pain potion-"

"I'm not _in _pain!" she snapped, knocking the bottle from his hand. It shattered on the floor and he glared at her.

"He's dead...isn't he?" she asked, her voice full of anguish. He looked away from her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Wendy could tell by the look on Snape's face that what she thought was true. Llewellyn was dead. She could remember now. They were attacked...

"Was I bitten?" she asked softly.

"It's a lot to take in at once..." Snape told her slowly.

"I can handle it," she said. "I just need straight answers. The truth..."

He hesitated a moment.

"Alright," he said. "Yes. You were bitten."

"So I'm a...werewolf?" she asked, feeling a stab of fear shoot through her.

"That is what happens when one is bitten."

"...How did you find us?"

"I was out looking for fluxweed. It's best harvested at the full moon. I heard you scream...but the time I got there, Mr. Townsend...it was too late. I sent the beast running and carried you back to the castle. Professor Dumbledore-"

"You left him there? Llewellyn?" she asked, her throat feeling tight.

"McGonagall went back for him."

"But he could've been...maybe he could have been..."

"I'm afraid it would have been impossible, Gwendolyn," he said, sounding as gently as she had ever heard him sound. She couldn't even bring herself to correct him, to tell him for the millionth time to call her Wendy.

A single tear ran down her face and she looked away for a few minutes. Poor Llewellyn...they had only just met. Her first friend since she started Hogwarts. And he had only just started school. He would never master transfiguration, never cast a Stunning Spell...he would never see a unicorn...

Snape repaired the broken potion bottle and vanished the spilled potion. He cleared his throat.

"I should get you another pain potion," he said.

"No," she said quickly. "I'm fine. It doesn't hurt."

She was lying, of course. It _did _hurt. Like hell. But the pain potion would make her sleep and she didn't want to sleep anymore. She didn't know how long she'd slept already.

"How long have I been here?" she asked him.

"Almost four days," he replied. "They kept you out while you healed a bit."

"What about classes? What about school? Wh...Do they know?"

"I don't know... I have been here."

"The whole time?" she asked, somewhat surprised.

"Yes. More or less."

"...Why?"

"You are my student," he said. "...The headmaster didn't want you left alone."

"Oh."

She was quiet a while longer, thinking, processing. Finally, she asked another question.

"What's going to happen? With school? If I'm a werewolf...I can't go back, can I?"

"Of course you can. We can make special arrangements. In fact, I am one of the few Potioneers who can successfully brew the Wolfsbane Potion."

She felt relieved. She had been so scared that she wouldn't be allowed to go back to school. She loved Hogwarts, even though she had no friends. If they made her leave, she'd be an outcast of Wizarding Society. She'd probably have to go back to the Muggle World, live with her parents, and then during the full moon...

"My parents," she said suddenly. "Shouldn't they be here? I mean I know they're Muggles, but... What? What's wrong?"

Snape had winced visibly the moment she said the word 'parents'.

He exhaled slowly.

"I'm not sure the best way...I...Sometimes, those closest to the victims of lycanthropy... When loved ones are infected, they...find it difficult to deal with," he said.

She frowned at him, not sure she understood.

"They would not come," said a voice from the doorway, making Wendy jump. She looked up to see the headmaster standing there.

"Professor Dumbledore," she said. "...What do you mean they wouldn't...wouldn't come?"

"I'm sorry, Gwendolyn-"

"Wendy," she interrupted.

"Wendy," he continued. "I tried...I'd hoped they would reconsider, I've tried contacting them multiple times since then, but...no luck, I'm afraid. I'm so sorry."

Wendy sank back down on the hospital bed. Her mind was spinning and she suddenly felt very tired and hurt.

"Professor Snape? I think I'll take that pain potion now," she said numbly.

"I'll get it," he said with a nod.

When Snape left the room, Dumbledore sat down.

"I am so sorry about everything that's happened, Wendy. I want you to know that we are going to take care of you. We can make summer arrangements for you, if necessary. I'm sure Severus told you about the potion..."

Wendy didn't want to hear anymore. Snape had been right, it was a lot to process. She turned away from Dumbledore and closed her eyes. He stopped talking and after a while she heard Snape return.

"Is she asleep?" he asked.

"I think she is feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment," Dumbledore replied.

"I tried to spare her but she insisted on the direct truth."

"You did the right thing, Severus. The sooner she comes to terms with it, the better," the headmaster said heavily.

Wendy didn't even care that they were talking about her like she wasn't there. She wasn't even really listening to them. She was still too torn up, thinking about Llewellyn...and her parents abandoning her. They didn't want anything to do with her and they were her parents! How would the rest of the world act? She'd be an outcast! She knew there were prejudices in the Wizarding World. She was already a victim of one of them. She imagined prejudice against bloodthirsty beasts was even more widespread than that against Muggleborns. Hell, she hated herself. She hated the beast who had killed Llewellyn, her only friend...

"Wendy?" came Snape's voice, close to her bed. "I have your potion..."

She opened one eye and took the bottle. She didn't even lift her head but drank deeply, not caring that some spilled onto the pillow. She felt Snape take the bottle from her hand then she slipped into oblivion.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Snape watched the girl closely the next few days. She didn't say much. She was hard to read. She cried sometimes, which always made him uncomfortable. Mostly she just sat quietly, staring into nothingness. Dumbledore told him not to worry, that she was still processing it. He said she was handling it well, but Snape was not so sure.

On Friday when Smethwyck came to change her bandages, he informed them she could return to school.

"You should take it easy for a few days, get the nurse to change your bandages twice a day, but you should be able to resume your classes on Monday, if you feel up to it," Smethwyck said.

"Thank you," said Wendy hollowly.

"There is one more thing. We would like for you to bring her back here on the first full moon. We'd like to observe her transformation."

"Why?" Snape asked suspiciously.

"We have her an experimental treatment when she arrived, we're curious to see if it works."

"You did _what_?" he asked, feeling livid. He had not been told of any experimental treatment!

"An experimental treatment," said the man. "There's a group of Potioneers working on various potions to reduce the effects of lycanthropy."

"I'm aware," Snape said.

"Then you know, they are working towards a cure. It is still a long way off... When Miss Phillips arrived here we administered one of their most recent concoctions meant to reduce the aggressiveness of fully fledged werewolves."

"You did this without her consent? Without her parents consent? What if something goes wrong?" Snape flared.

"Her parents have abandoned her," Pye said tactlessly. Even Smethwyck glared at him.

"You did not know that at the time!" Snape snapped. "You should have spoken to me or to Professor Dumbledore. She is a _child _not some guinea pig for you to test experimental treatments on!"

"With all due respect, Professor Snape, we need no one's permission. She has no rights, under the current laws. She is a Beast," Smethwyck said. "I'm not saying it is right, but it the way it is. Everything we did, we did with the best of intentions. Every step we take is a step closer to a cure. Eventually, laws like this will no longer exist."

Snape still felt livid, though he wasn't sure why. What the man said made sense. Still...she was only a child! If experiments needed to be done, let them be done on wretches like Remus Lupin.

"I think you should leave," Snape said quietly. "I am taking Miss Phillips back to school. I will bring her back, as you requested, but I am not letting her out of my sight when she is here."

"As you wish," Smethwyck said and he and the intern left.

Snape turned to see Wendy watching him, her silver eyes dull. He looked away.

"Are you ready to return to school?" he asked her gruffly.

"Yes," she said quietly.

"...Professor Dumbledore said none of the students know about your condition. The teachers know. You can tell your friends if you want, but-"

"I don't have any," she interrupted. "There is no one that cares."

"Right...well...if anyone _does _ask. You could tell them you were ill."

She nodded and Snape cleared his throat.

"We can use the fireplace in the lobby to travel back to the school. I'll give you a moment to get dressed."

When she was dressed, Snape led the girl downstairs to the oversized fireplace.

"Why is it so big?" she asked, sounding disinterested.

"It is dangerous for wizards to Apparate when injured. Safer to use floo powder. Sometimes they push them through on stretchers," he explained.

"Oh."

Snape took a fistful of floo powder from a bowl next to the fireplace and tossed it in. Emerald flames leapt to life.

"Come," he said to her, taking her arm. They stepped into the flames.

"Snape's office, Hogwarts," he said clearly and the two were whooshed away.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

When they stepped out of the fireplace, Snape let go of her arm. Wendy immediately headed for the door.

"Wait," Snape said and Wendy paused. "If you need anything – a pain potion or if you have questions – come find me. Anytime."

"Okay."

"...If you want to use my classroom again, you can," he offered.

"Thank you," she said, though she was remembering that last night, when she had helped Llewellyn with his transfiguration. Snape had gotten so angry then. Did he feel guilty? Is that why he had stayed with her? Is that why he offered the room up now? ...She did not blame him. She was not even angry at him. It was her fault the boy died, not his.

"Thank you," she repeated, then she left.

Wendy didn't notice the whispering until she was halfway through the Common Room, headed to her dormitory. She looked up to see most eyes were on her.

"What?" she asked as two of the more aggressive seventh years approached her.

"No one has seen you since that boy died," the boy said. "They said he got killed in the forest. Did you see?"

"Did _you _kill him?" the girl asked.

"Don't be ridiculous," the boy snapped. "She's a third year. She couldn't kill anyone."

"What boy?" Wendy asked heavily. She had already decided what to tell people if they asked.

"That Townsend boy. Angela saw you two talking the night he died," the boy said. "And you've been gone all week."

"...My parents were in an accident," she said quietly. "They died. ...I didn't know anything happened to Llewellyn."

"Oh," the boy said, sounding disappointed.

"Professor Snape hasn't been in class all week," the girl said to him. "Maybe he did it?"

"...Professor Snape was with me," Wendy said. "The headmaster made his escort me home."

The two were ignoring her now though. Wendy continued upstairs to her dorm and flopped onto her bed. She wasn't sleepy anymore though. She didn't even feel like crying anymore. She wasn't sure what to do.

She showered first and re-wrapped her wounds with some of the bandages Pye had given her. It was difficult doing it herself. Her shoulder was stiff and very painful to move. She did not want to walk all the way to the hospital wing though.

She stared in the mirror at the gash on her head before she re-bandaged it. It was going to leave a giant scar on her temple.

She felt angry suddenly, staring at her mauled reflection. The word Beast echoed through her mind. That's what Smethwyck had called her. She wasn't even human anymore. These scars would make her look even less so.

She went back into her dorm and grabbed a pair of scissors, then went back into the bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror and chopped away at her long auburn hair until it was only a few inches long. She gave herself bangs that would cover the wound when it scarred.

"There," she said to her reflection. Now if she kept her bangs and wore shirts that did not show off her shoulders, she would be fine. She would look just like any other student. But she wasn't just any other student...

"Beast," she whispered hatefully to her reflection. "Monster..."

The bell rang for dinner, startling her. She knew she didn't want to go down to the Great Hall. She didn't want to hear the gossip and rumors about Llewellyn, to be questioned again. She was hungry though. In fact, she felt like she was starving. So she headed down to the kitchens.

The house-elves immediately surrounded her.

"Miss! How is you?" asked an elf named Chipper. "We has not seen you all week!"

"I'm okay, Chipper. I was away from school. ...Family emergency," she muttered.

"Is you hungry, miss?"

Immediately they began surrounding her with food – sandwiches, fruit, pudding.

"Could I eat here?" she asked them. Immediately a small table appeared. They ushered her into a chair and poured her a glass of apple juice.

As she ate it occurred to her that maybe she did have friends after all. The house-elves seemed genuinely concerned about her absence and her wounds.

Wendy ate until she was stuffed, then she said goodbye to her elf friends. She went back to her bed but despite being comfortably full, she still wasn't tired. She pulled out some of her advanced textbooks from the library and began reading.

She read as she heard the other girls come upstairs and go to bed. She found several spells she'd like to try and when things quieted down she got up out of bed and went out into the Common Room. A few older students weer still awake – several were studying and two couples were making out. Not one paid her any attention as she left the room.

She made her way to the Potions classroom, not caring if she got caught. Detention would be the least of her worries right now. She did make it without being discovered, though.

She re-sealed the door to the classroom so she wouldn't be disturbed. She opened her book to the first page she had ear-marked. She walked over to Snape's blackboard and wrote the incantation _Engorgio_. She wrote the wand movements as well. She looked around for something to practice on and came up with Snape's stapler.

She placed the stapler on one of the student desks.

"_Engorgio_," she said with a clockwise twirl.

Rather than grow in size like it was supposed to, the object shot off the desk and rocketed across the room.

"Shit," she said, running after it. She hadn't expected any problems.

_Something felt different_, she thought to herself as she placed the stapler back on the desk. Her wand arm felt tingly... It wasn't the arm that had been injured. _But_, she reasoned, _maybe there was some nerve damage or something that crossed over_.

She tried the _Engorgio_ spell a few more times. Six times it rocketed away. The last few times it simply did not move at all. Wendy frowned. This wasn't right. Maybe she was doing something wrong.

Just as an experiment, Wendy tried a Colour-Changing Charm, something she had mastered her first year. This time when the object rocketed away, she knew something was wrong. She tried a few more of the simplest first year spells, all with the same result. Then it dawned on her – she could no longer control her magic!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Snape left his office Saturday morning and was headed up to the Great Hall for breakfast when he sensed the wards around his classroom had been disturbed. The girl must have come down after dinner to study. He opened the door, curious to see if he could tell what she had been working on.

He approached the chalkboard but stopped abruptly when he saw someone on the floor behind his desk. He felt annoyed at first but the feeling quickly disapparated when he saw it was Wendy. She looked so small and pathetic. She had found one of his cloaks and was covered up with it. She was curled in a ball, using her arm as a pillow. He almost didn't want to wake her...but he had to.

"Miss Phillips," he said loudly.

Her silver eyes flew open and she looked around wildly, seeming scared at first. Then her eyes found him and she visibly relaxed.

"Why aren't you in your dormitory, Miss Phillips?" he asked.

"I was up late...trying out new spells, but I found out – I can't control my magic anymore," she said sadly. She sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"What do you mean?" he asked, feeling curious.

"Anytime I try to do even the simplest of spells...well, it is disastrous."

"Show me," he said.

She pointed her wand at a stapler on his desk.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_," she said with a swish and flick of her wrist. The stapler exploded in red sparks and shot across the room in pieces.

"Strange," he muttered to himself. Could the girl's lycanthropy have affected her magic? He had never heard of such a thing. Perhaps Dumbledore would know.

"I think," he said. "that we should go see the headmaster."

Wendy looked nervous and he suspected that she did not want to see anyone, much less the headmaster.

"Most of the students will be at breakfast or sleeping," he said to her. "And Dumbledore is not so bad."

She nodded and got up off the floor, his cloak falling to the ground around her ankles. She chuckled nervously as she picked it up and placed it on his desk. He hid his smile with a scowl.

Snape led the girl up the various staircases to Dumbledore's office. He gave the password - "gummy bears – and the stone gryffin moved aside. Snape ascended first and knocked on the door.

"Come in, Severus," Albus said cheerfully.

Snape opened the door. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk in a bright purple dressing gown.

"Good morning, Severus. And Miss Phillips. To what do I owe this early, yet not unwelcome, visit?" he asked.

"Something...interesting...has happened to the girl's magic," Snape said.

"Oh? Will you show me please," Dumbledore said to her.

Wendy lifted her wand hesitantly and pointed it at an empty chair.

"It's okay," Dumbledore encouraged.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_," she said with a perfect swish and flick...and the chair burst into flames.

"_Aguamenti!_" she shrieked, but the flames only roared higher.

"_Aguamenti_," Snape said and the chair immediately extinguished. "_Reparo_."

"Interesting..." Dumbledore said. "Very interesting."

"Have you ever seen or heard of anything like this happening?" Snape asked. "Is it because of her...her condition?"

"I think," he said. "That you should take her to see Mr. Ollivander."

"The wand-maker?" Wendy said, looking down at her wand.

"You think it is her wand?" Snape asked. "Has that ever happened before?"

"Not that I am aware of, but Ollivander may know differently," Dumbledore replied. "I'd suggest you leave as soon as possible."

"Couldn't you take her, headmaster? I have a lot to do to get caught up..."

"She is your student, Severus – as you have been reminding everyone of for the past week and a half," Dumbledore said with a smile. Snape flushed and glanced at the girl. She was studying her wand, not paying them any attention. He glowered at Dumbledore.

"Fine," Snape muttered darkly. "Come, girl."

She perked up and followed him out of the headmaster's office.

"Are we going to fly or use floo powder?" she asked.

"Floo powder will be quickest. I am in no mood for a leisurely flight with you across Britain."

"Okay," she said indifferently.

The girl followed him to his office. He retrieved his traveling cloak and fastened it around his neck.

"Do you need to get anything?" he asked her stiffly.

She shook her head 'no'. Her hair was mussed, her robes rumpled from sleep...but if she didn't care, neither did he.

"You can go through on your own this time. Take a fistful of powder, toss it in the flames. When you step in, say 'the Leaky Cauldron'. It is very important to speak clearly."

She nodded and did exactly what he said. He grabbed a fistful of powder and followed her.

**Author's Note: Thanks for the review and the follows! Sorry I haven't said thank you before now, all my updates have been from my Android phone.**

**To anyone that hasn't reviewed, please do. The more reviews I get, the quicker I update. I have a lot of esteem issues and sometimes doubt if updating or even writing at all is worth it... I really appreciate reviews, it is a ray of sunshine in my life, really. **

**Thanks for reading.**

**~RedPandaPrincess**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Snape led her through the somewhat crowded pub an through the gateway to Diagon Alley. As it had the first day she had visited, the sight of the streets bustling with witches and wizards took her breath away. She also felt a stab of remorse. The first time she had come to Diagon Alley, it had been with her parents, following the carefully written instructions that had come with her Hogwarts letter. The three of them had had an amazing day, seeing all of the wizarding things and eating dinner together in Diagon Alley...

She let Snape lead the way to Ollivanders, even though she remembered the way. Snape didn't even look around, but Wendy couldn't help herself. All the enchanted objects zooming around. She saw broomsticks for sale next to the Owl Emporium. She wanted to stop and look at the owls, but she knew better than to ask Snape.

When they reached Ollivander's, Snape held the door open and she went in timidly. The old man, hearing the bell on the door, came out from the back.

"Miss Phillips!" he said enthusiastically. "What brings you here?"

"Professor Dumbledore believes something is wrong with her wand," Snape said.

"Oh? Let's see then," he said to her.

Wendy attempted a simple Colour-Changing Charm again on the front desk...and it collapsed in a cloud of dust. She saw Snape smirking.

"Oh dear! I'd say he is right," Ollivander said. "Has anything happened recently that might affect your magic?"

Wendy looked at Snape hesitantly. He nodded to her.

"I was bitten...by a werewolf," she said quietly. She saw a flicker of fear cross Ollivander's face and she closed her eyes.

"No matter," the old man said after a moment. "We can get you switched out for a proper wand."

"Has this sort of thing happened before?" Snape asked the old man as he went to peruse the shelves.

"It is not unheard of, with victims of lycanthropy, but it is rare," he replied. "I did some experimenting, some 30-odd years ago, with werewolf fur as a wand core. Dumbledore was kind enough to provide it. I didn't have much success but I have a hunch...if I could just find them..."

Wendy thought she noticed Snape stiffen but she couldn't be sure. Whens he looked at him, his expression was blank.

A few minutes passed and Ollivander let out an exclamation of success.

"Here we are," he said, bringing out a few dusty boxes. "Let's give this one a try. Beech, 13 inches. Very supple. Give it a wave, my dear."

Wendy accepted the wand and swished it. She knew before anything happened it wasn't right. The collapsed desk burst into flames. Snape quickly extinguished the fire, looking amused.

"Discouraging," Ollivander muttered to himself. "Not to worry, not to worry. Too flimsy, perhaps, maybe something more sturdy. This one – yew wood. 12 inches. Unyielding."

"It is beautiful," Wendy said before accepting it. The wood was light in color with swirls of darker red.

When she took it she knew it was right. She felt the power flow through her.

"_Reparo_,"she said with a flick. The collapsed desk repaired itself completely. It was even dust free.

"Impressive!" Ollivander said, sounding genuinely pleased. "Very impressive. Yew wands do not choose their owners lightly. Especially with such an experimental core. This wand was made for you, Miss Phillips. I think it will only ever answer to you. I will let you have it, in exchange for your old one."

Wendy handed over her old wand without hesitation. She was grasping her new one, feeling the power flow down her arm to her fingertips.

"_Scourgify_," she said with a downward slash of her wand.

All of the dust in the shop vanished. Wendy felt a thrill. She felt stronger than before. She raised her wand to try the _Engorgio _spell but before she could cast, Snape put a hand on her arm.

"That is enough, Miss Phillips," he said.

"Okay," she said remorsefully, stowing her new wand away. "Thank you very much Mr. Ollivander."

"You're very welcome. If you have any trouble with it or you have any questions, feel free to write me," he said. She nodded and followed Snape out of the shop.

The wind had picked up and the two were buffeted by it as they stepped into the street. Snape pulled his cloak tighter around himself at the chill. Wendy found she didn't mind it, though.

"Are you hungry, Miss Phillips?" Snape asked her all of a sudden. "We could go get something to eat before we return to the castle...we've no doubt missed lunch."

"Oh. Yeah, sure...that would be great," she said, surprised. "Thanks."

They returned to the Leaky Cauldron and sat at a table in a dark corner.

"Wait here," Snape said to her, getting up.

He returned a moment later with an ale for himself and an apple juice for her.

"Thank you. How did you know?" she asked.

"You drank it in the hospital," he said with a shrug. "Do you know what you want to eat?"

"Not really-" she began, but then her nose caught a whiff of something that made her mouth water. "What is that _smell_?"

Snape sniffed the air.

"Pipe tobacco? Sweat? ...Steak?"

"That's it," she said, her eyes finding the waiter with the meat.

"Sit," he said to her. "You can get your own steak."

Wendy didn't even realize she had stood up.

"I didn't..." she said, sitting back down in confusion.

"It's okay," Snape told her with a light smirk. "It's the wolf. I will order a steak for you."

"Thanks," she said blankly.

When the bartender brought their food, Wendy was repulsed by the blood oozing from the slab of meat on her plate. But then she smelled it...and it was all she could do not to grab it in her hands and rip into it with her teeth.

She devoured the strip of meat in less than two minutes. She enjoyed the feeling of chewing it, the blood filling her mouth and sending her taste buds into ecstasy. She was about to lick the plate when she saw Snape watching her, smirking.

"What?" she asked, feeling her ears grow hot.

"You'd think you were starving,"he said good-humoredly.

"I...uh..."

"It's okay," he assured her. "Do you want another?"

"Oh god that would be awesome," she said, mouth watering again.

Three steaks later Wendy was full. She was also very sleepy. She offered Snape some money to pay for her meal, but he declined.

"It was Dumbledore's idea, he's paying for it," he said.

When they returned to the school, Wendy offered to help him catch up on his work. Again, Snape declined.

"I know you're tired," he said. "Go get some rest."

"Okay...Thank you for taking me to Diagon Alley and...everything."

Snape merely grunted and she took that as her sign to leave.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Wendy found it fairly easy to slip right back into her life of invisibility at Hogwarts. And after a few weeks, even talk of Llewellyn had mostly dispersed. It was almost like nothing had happened. Like it was just a bad dream... of course, Wendy knew better.

As the full moon approached, she started feeling sick. She didn't tell anyone. There wasn't anyone to tell. Snape? He had been his usual ornery self ever since classes had started back. Dumbledore? Not likely.

The books told her the sick feeling was normal. So she didn't worry. She just felt miserable.

The day of the full moon Snape sent her a note telling her to meet him in his office at lunchtime. When she arrived, he had tea waiting on her.

"Would you like a cup?" he asked.

"No thanks," she declined, feeling queasy at the thought.

"It's ginger," he said roughly. "It will help."

Reluctantly she accepted the cup.

"After your final class this evening you are to meet me here. We are traveling to St. Mungo's so that Healer Smethwyck may observe your transformation," he said distastefully.

"Yes sir," she said miserably. She was not looking forward to her first transformation. She especially didn't like that people were going to be watching her. Snape looked uncertain.

"It will be okay," he said stiffly.

She just sighed.

"Thanks for the tea," she said, placing the barely-touched cup back on the tray.

Snape watched her go, cursing himself. He should be able to do something, say something...but there was nothing he could do. Tomorrow he would start the Wolfsbane Potion so that her next transformation she wouldn't have as much to worry about. He'd already laid the ingredients out and prepared them as much as he could. He just had to get through tonight.

The girl showed up right after her last class. She'd taken a moment to change into Muggle jeans and a t-shirt but he said nothing.

"Ready?" he asked her and she nodded. She didn't wait for instruction this time, taking a handful of floo powder and tossing it in. She stepped into the emerald flames.

"St. Mungo's," she said and vanished. Snape quickly followed suit.

When he arrived he heard retching. He looked down to see Wendy doubled over, dry-heaving.

"Easy, girl," he said, pulling out his wand. He conjured up a glass of water for her. Nurses were hurrying over.

"Back off!" Wendy snarled at them. The nurses hesitated.

"Get Healer Smethwyck," Snape ordered, then knelt beside the girl. "Here. Sip this. It will help."

She turned away from him. Already her pending transformation was making her mistrustful.

"It will help," he repeated, putting a hand on her shoulder. She lashed out and sank her teeth into his hand. He dropped the cup and jerked his hand away.

"Ah, there you are!" said a voice. Snape hid his injured hand in his robes as Smethwyck approached.

"She's being aggressive already," Snape said to the Healer.

"_I am not aggressive_," Wendy growled.

"Of course you're not," Smethwyck said patronizingly. "Come on downstairs."

"_I'm not going anywhere with you, you condescending piece of shit!"_

Snape couldn't help but agree with her. He also knew, though, that she would be put in restraints if she did not cooperate.

"Wendy," he said, kneeling back down beside her, forcing her to look at him. Her silver eyes sparkled with mistrust. The moon was already taking its toll on her.

"We have to go downstairs, okay? You don't want to hurt anyone. I'll be with you," he promised.

She seemed to relax a bit and allowed him to help her up. She kept a hand on his arm to steady herself as they followed Smethwyck down a special set of stairs. Several other Healers were waiting in a dark room.

"We have a special room set up with one-way, unbreakable glass so we can observe," Smethwyck said. "Just through here, Miss Phillips."

She hesitated at the door the Healer held open.

"Go on," Snape urged her. "It's okay."

Wendy went inside and Smethwyck sealed the door behind her.

Snape didn't speak to the the healers as they waited for her to transform, but he kept a close eye on Wendy through the glass. She looked terrified at the sound of the door sealing shut.

"Snape?" she asked fearfully, sounding helpless and small.

"Gwendolyn?" he said, then looked to the Healers. "Can she hear me?"

"Um, I'm afraid not," Smethwyck said. "We did not want to upset the beast with any noises."

"She's not a beast, she's a little girl!" Snape snarled, and turned his attention back to the room.

Gwendolyn paced anxiously for the better part of an hour. Finally, she let out a cry of surprise and went rigid.

He didn't want to watch but he couldn't help himself. Light grey fur erupted all over her skin. Her fingers turned into curved claws. Her spine contorted in a painful-looking way. Before too long, a small, fat, grey wolf pup sat in the middle of the room.

"Wow... she looks more wolf-life than she should," commented one of the Healers. "Her tail and her snout..."

"The potion, no doubt," said Smethwyck.

"But is she aggressive?" another healer asked.

The men muttered amongst themselves. Snape just watched Wendy. She lay in the middle of the room, whimpering.

"...I'll go in," Snape said finally. "If she's aggressive, I'll subdue her and get out."

"Good man!" Smethwyck said enthusiastically clapping him on the back.

Snape ignored Smethwyck. He wasn't so ignorant as to think Wendy would not attack him. In her transformed state, if that experimental potion didn't work, she would have no idea who he was. She'd already bitten him once – his hand throbbed painfully – if she did it in this state, he would be in big trouble.

He entered the room with his wand drawn.

"Gwendolyn?" he said cautiously.

The wolf's ears perked up and she turned to him. Wendy's silver eyes looked back at him. He recognized the aggression a moment before she attacked. He didn't hesitate – he blasted her back with a powerful Stinging Hex.

He jumped back and one of the Healer's slammed the door behind him. Snape watched through the glass as the Wolf threw herself at the closed door. She continued throwing herself at it for the next 15 minutes before she stopped, sat on her haunches, and howled.

"It didn't work," Smethwyck said disapointedly.

"Back to the drawing board," said one of the Healers. They all dispersed, leaving Snape alone with the transformed girl.

He watched helplessly as she attacked her reflection, running back and forth along the one-way glass. He knew there was nothing he could do for her. He pulled his left hand out of his robes to inspect the wound she'd left earlier. It was in a crescent shape and blood trickled faintly from it. He knew it wasn't anything to worry about – she hadn't been transformed at the time. It wouldn't turn him, but it would scar. Not a big deal, he had plenty of scars already. He pointed his wand at his left hand and wrapped bandages around the wound.

He sat and watched Wendy throughout her transformation. In the early hours of the morning, she finally lay down. She whimpered as her body reverted to its original shape. Snape opened the door as her fur disappeared.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, though it was a stupid question. He'd watched her the entire time.

"Yeah. I didn't...do anything...did I?" she asked, sounding exhausted.

"No..." he said, hiding his bandaged hand in his robes. "No, you were fine. Come on. Let's go back to the castle where you can rest."

"Are you sure...safe?" she murmured sleepily.

"You're fine. Come on, girl, you have to get to your feet," he said, pulling her up.

Wendy followed him, groggy and stumbling up the stairs. He kept a hand on her back to keep her from falling. When they reached the fireplace she was slumping against him. He tossed in the floo powder then half-dragged her into the fireplace.

They arrived in his office. Wendy took one step and collapsed. Snape was startled at first until he heard her snoring.

"Gwendolyn," he said, nudging her with his boot. "Wake up."

She didn't even stir. He sighed. She was exhausted. He'd have to let her nap here. He covered the girl with his cloak and summoned a pillow under her head. Then he left her, going into his private quarters.

He couldn't sleep now. The sun was almost up. He had to start the Wolfsbane Potion. Then he had classes to teach.

He took a deep swig of Invigoration Draught, then got started on the Wolfsbane.


End file.
